Create An Ecofriendly Teenage Bedroom

Work with your teenager to create an eco-friendly bedroom she will adore.

Designing or remodeling your teen's bedroom can be a lot of work. However, spending time with your son or daughter in the planning and designing stages can be a bonding experience. Creating an eco-friendly bedroom is even more beneficial, as it will provide a healthier environment for your teenager and will cut down on the house's energy bills. By incorporating sustainable materials like organic cotton and hemp, as well as used items, which generate less waste, you can create an environmentally responsible bedroom.

Instructions

1. Sit down with your teenager and discuss bedroom ideas. Talk about whether he wants a certain theme, what furniture he needs and if he wants to create anything himself, such as a painting for the wall. Encourage him to work with you step-by-step to complete the final product.

2. Green your teenager's bed. Conventional pillows and mattresses are produced with toxic chemicals that are potentially harmful to human and animal health. Use hemp pillows and an organic cotton mattress cover or a non-latex, soy mattress instead. If this exceeds your budget, simply buying organic cotton or hemp sheets is an eco-friendly step.

3. Reclaim some vintage furnishings.

Incorporate used furniture into the bedroom. Purchase items from thrift stores or use furnishings from other parts of your house that are taking up space. Another fun idea is for you and your teenager to build a bookshelf or desk with reclaimed wood (wood from scrap piles, neighbors, deserted properties). If you prefer to buy new furnishings, strive to buy items generated from organic and sustainable sources, like bamboo or hemp.

4. Hang wool curtains in your teen's choice of design. During the winter, the curtains are effective at keeping cold air out and warm air in. Encourage your teenager to take advantage of passive solar heat via their windows on sunny days. For summer days, use a ceiling or portable fan rather than an air conditioner, which will save energy and money.

5. Paint the walls with non- or low-VOC paint. Conventional paints release toxins called VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) years after application and contribute to an unhealthy indoor environment. Decorate the walls with art works that you and your teen create by reusing materials. For example, make a collage of old pictures or a wall-hanging with old records.

6. House plants improve air quality.

Include some plants that your teenager helps choose. Plants are effective at improving indoor air quality. They remove toxins from the air and replace them with clean oxygen. All plants serve this function, but some examples of ideal indoor plants are chrysanthemums, spider plants, English ivy and bamboo palm.

7. Insert energy-efficient bulbs, like CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs), into all lamp and light sockets. They last longer than incandescent bulbs and use less energy over time. Decorate lamp shades with craft scraps, buttons and beads from around the house or even an old T-shirt or pair of jeans.